Ore concentrator



Aug; 8, 1944. c. C.HERBERT 1 ORE CONCENTRATQR Filed June 9, 1943 R O N E V m Patented Aug. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,s55,s75""f a oREooNoENTItAToR 1 Charles 0. Herbert, SanJosaCalif. 3 Application June 9, 1943 Serial No. 490,386 I 3 Claims. (01. 2109 475) The present invention relates particularly'to improvements in dry ore concentrating jigs.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a device of the character indicated wherein the concentrates that have accumulated behind the several riflles may be quickly, easily, and completely removed from the table at frequent intervals. I

' Inthe type of pneumatic jig referred to it has been found that after a period of operation the canvas forming the top of the table and through which air is blown, becomes clogged with the fine material passed thereover, and it is therefore another object of the invention to provide means whereby the said canvas may be quickly and easily cleaned of the clogging material; 1 t

Finally, it is an object of :the invention to provide'a device of the character indicatedrthat will b simple in form and construction, economical to manufacture, strong, durable, .and highly effi cient in its practical, application, and particularly one that will permit the recovery of practically all of the so-called flour gold, and the still liner and lighter particles that are commonly lost; 1

In the drawing: v I

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one-half of a jig embodying my invention. I

Figure 2 is a side elevationof the jig,

broken away. I v

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental' sectional view. on line 33 of Fi ure 1 r Figure 4 is an enlarged detailsectionon line 4-4 on Figure 1.

with parts Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section on line 5-5 on Figure 1.

My invention as herein disclosed is embodied in a framework I of any suitable nature, and on this frame-work is mounted an inclined frame 2 which, together with the top and bottom hereinafter described, encloses an air chamber 3.

Extending transversely across the top of the air chamber with their top edges lying flush with the top edge of frame 2, are a number of rigid bars as indicated at 4.

Stretched over the tops of bars 4 and the top edge of frame 2 is a suitable fabric, such as canvas, 6. This canvas is held in place by side rails as l bolted on the frame 2 as shown at 8. The canvas Ii is stretched tightly enough to support the material flowed thereover, but is entirely unattached except around the edges, and forms a complete top for the chamber 3.

The bottom of the chamber 3 is formed by a substantially rigid plate 9 of somewhat smaller 65 dimensions than the chamber 3 in plan, and is suspended centrally from the chamber wall 2 by means of a rubber strip Ill bolted thereto as at I I and to the .top of frame I by any suitable means a'satI2. 3'

In thecenter of the bottom plate 9 is mounted a spring-pressed valve as I3 to'control the admission of air to the chamber 3. As the plate 9 is pushed upwardly in any suitable manner asby means of an eccentric as I4 on a driving shaft I5 connected thereto as at I6, the valve. I3 remains closed as shown. Butwhen the plate is pulled downwardly by the eccentric I4 and its connection I6, the spring holds the valveclosed sufficiently long to create a suction in the chamber 3, but opens to let air into the chamber 3 before the completion of its downward movement.

Placed immediately inside of side rails I, and paralleling the same are side members I'I of'approximately the same dimensions. These side members I1 are spaced and held by rifiles I8 which have their lower edges flush with the lower edges of the members. The toprends of the members H are connected by an inclined plate I9 over which'oreis discharged onto canvas ;6, and this end plate is fitted with downwardly extending hinge portions engaging a laterally extending bar 2I seated in lugs 2 la extending upwardly and rearwardlyfrom frame 2. This construction permits the swinging of parts III8,upwardly about thebarZIasapivot. 1

To effect the swinging movement of parts I!- I8 as described I provide a hand lever 22 pivoted on rails I as ;at 2 3. On each side of the lever 22 is pivotally mounted alink as 24 connected to a toggle 25. The top end of the toggle 25 is pivoted on a plate 26 fixedly positioned on the top edge of side rail 1, and its lower end is pivoted on the adjacent member I'I, so that when the lever 22 is thrown forwardly into the position 22a the members I1 and the rifiles thereon are swung upwardly into some such position as indicated in dotted lines, thereby leaving the surface of canvas 6 unobstructed.

Mounted upon the lower ends of members H to move as a unit therewith and to lie flat upon the canvas 6 when the members I! ar in their normal Working position, is a, plate or guide 21 that is bent at right angles at 28 to form a deflector portion 29 that extends downwardly and into a receptacle 30.

In the lowermost portion of the rubber strip III are formed a number of orifices as 3I for the purpose hereinafter described.

To illustrate the operation of the jig it may be assumed that a, suitable gold-bearing aggregate is discharged upon the upper end of the device and allowed to flow by gravity downwardly over the canvas 6 and rifiles I8, and at the same time the operation of eccentric l4 causes a flow of air through the canvas 6, agitating the material thereon enabling the heavier gold particles to sink down to the canvas and lodge, in large part, behind the working faces of the rifiles and assisting the progress of the gangueuntil it discharges as indicated by the arrow at 32.

A bar 4 is placed directly beneath the working face of each rifile so that the air cannot be forced through th canvas at this point and a dead pocket will be provided in which the heaviervalues may accumulate undisturbed. The flow of air above referred to not only agitates the gangue as described but also sucks at least some of the finer values through the canvas into the chamber 3, and here these values are automatically moved to the bottom of the chamber and blown out of its lower end into receptacle 3!] through orifices 3l.

. .Whenever the operatorof the jig judges that the canvas 6 should be cleaned he has merely 'to shift the lever 22 into the position indicated in dotted lines at 22a, whereupon all of the rifiles l8 are raised above the level of the canvas 6 and the guide 2'l29 is raised into the position shown in dotted lines at 29a. When this is done all of the ore and the values therein flows freely downwardly and over the lower end of the canvas and is deflected into the container or receptacle 30 by the guide 29. The seating of the riffles 18 on the canvas 6 serves to hold the said canvas fiat on the bars 4 and prevents its displacement by the forcing of air therethrough. But when the rifiles are raised as above set forth the sudden upsurge of air will raise the entire exposed area of the canvas as indicated at 33. When the downward movement of air begins and is effected by the downward movement of the suction plate 9, the spring holds the valve l3 closed for an instant thereby causing the canvas to b suddenly sucked back into sudden contact with the bars 4. This sudden whipping of the canvas on the bars 4, together with the forced passage downwardly through the canvas of the air sucked in by the downward movement of plate 9, effectually cleans the said canvas of all particles of gold or other matter that may be lodged in its meshes.

By means of the mechanism described, not only are all values of appreciable size quickly and easily collected in receptacle 30, but even those values in the form of impalpable powder are recovered in chamber 3 and blown into the receptacle 30. One reason for the satisfactory working of the device is the fact that the plate 9 parallels the fabric 6 and the flow of air is substantially equal over the whole surface of the fabric.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dry ore concentrating table of the character described comprising, an inclined oblong frame, a textile fabric stretched over the same and attached thereto at its edges only, supporting bars for the unattached portion of the fabric disposed laterally of the frame, means operative to force air to flow alternately in opposite directions through the fabric to raise and lower the same on the supporting bars, riflies and supporting means therefor disposed on the top of said fabric to prevent the fabric being raised by the air forced therethrough, and means operative to simultaneously raise all of the rifiles with respect to said fabric to permit raising of the fabric by the air passing therethro-ugh.

2. A dry ore concentrating table of the character described comprising, an inclined oblong frame, a textile fabric stretched over the same, rifiles and supporting means therefor disposed on the top of said fabric, means operative to simultaneously raise and lower all of the'rifiles with respect to said canvas, said means being provided with a deflector guide depending from its lower end to permit the discharge of tailings from the fabric when the rifiies are in a normal position, but movable therewith when the rifles are raised to intercept the flow of concentrates and discharge the same into a receptacle.

3. A dry ore concentrating table of the character described comprising, an inclined oblong frame, a textile fabric stretched over the same, supporting bars for the fabric disposed laterally of the frame, means operative to force air to flow alternately in opposite directions through 'said fabric, riflles and supporting means therefor disposed on the top of said fabric, means operative to simultaneously raise and lower all of the rifiies with respect to the canvas, said means being provided with a deflector guide depending from its lower end to permit the discharge of tailings from the fabric when the rifiles are in a normal position, but movable-therewith when the riffles are raised to intercept the flow of concentrates and discharge the same into a receptacle.

CHARLES c. HERBERT. 

